The Predictive Ability of Moral Identity for Cyberbullying among Students of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University

Omar Atallah  Al-Adamat; Tmara Qasim  Husban; Ahmad Adnan  Khattab

doi:10.35516/hum.v50i5.1434

Authors

Omar Atallah Al-Adamat Ministry of Education, Jordan. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9767-5754
Tmara Qasim Husban Ministry of Education, Jordan. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3366-1193
Ahmad Adnan Khattab Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Educational Sciences, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Jordan. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7780-6585

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35516/hum.v50i5.1434

Keywords:

Moral identity, cyberbullying, Al-Hussein Bin Talal university students

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated the level of moral identity and cyberbullying among students of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University and determines if there are differences in moral identity based on factors such as gender, academic level, college, and interactions between these factors. It also aims to reveal the predictive ability of moral identity of cyberbullying.

Methods: The study sample consisted of (328) male and female students at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University. They were chosen using a convenience sampling method. In addition, scales of moral identification and cyberbullying measures were utilised to achieve the goals of this study.

Results: The results indicated that cyberbullying was low, and that moral identity was at a medium degree. The findings also demonstrated significant gender-related differences in the level of moral identity favouring females. However, the variables of college, and academic level did not significantly affect the level of moral identity, nor did their interaction produce any significant differences. Additionally, the findings indicated that moral identity explained 16.5% of online bullying.

Conclusions: The study recommended focusing on strategies and programmes that emphasise values and the practice of ethical behaviour to support the formation of moral identity among university students, particularly among males.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Al-Smadi, W., & Al Zghoul, R. (2020). Moral Identity as Predictor for Moral Conduct among a sample of Yarmouk University Students. Journal of the Islamic University of Educational and Psychological Studies, 28(1), 702-725.

Aquino, K. & Reed, A. (2002). The self-importance of moral identity. Journal of Personal Psychology, 83(6), 1423-1440.

Aquino, K., Freeman, D., Reed, A., Lim, V. & Felps, W. (2009). Testing a social-cognitive model of moral behavior: The interactive influence of situations and moral identity centrality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97(1), 123–41.

Aquino, K., Reed, A. II, Thau, S., & Freeman, D. (2007). A grotesque and dark beauty: How moral identity and mechanisms of moral disengagement influence cognitive and emotional reactions to war. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43(3), 385–392.

Banhan, B. (2013). The effectiveness of moral intelligence in reducing bullying behavior in delinquent juveniles. The Egyptian Journal of Psychological Studies, 23(78), 125-206.

Bani Khaled, M & Al-Adamat, O. (2021). Cyberbullying among Adolescent Students as a Function of Some Demographic Variables. International Journal of Cyber Behavior. Psychology and Learning (IJCBPL), 11(1), 38-49.

Barque-Duran, A., Pothos, E., Yearsley, J. & Hampton, J. (2016). Pattern and evolution of moral behavior: Moral dynamics in everyday life. Thinking and Reasoning, 22(1) 31-56.

Beheshtifar, M., Esmaeli, Z. & Mohadam, M. (2011). Effect of moral intelligence on leadership. Journal of Economics, 43, 6-13.

Blasi, A. (2004). Moral functioning: Moral understanding and personality. In D. K. Lapsley & D. Narvaez (Eds.), Moral development, self, and identity (pp. 335–347).Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Carlo, G. & Randall, B. (2002). The development of a measure of prosocial behaviors for late adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31(1), 31-44.

Choi, W. & Winterich, K. (2013). Can brands move in from the outside? How moral identity enhances out-group brand attitudes. Journal of Marketing, 77, 96 –111.

Crosslin, K., & Golman, M. (2014). “Maybe you don’t want to face it”–College students’ perspectives on cyberbullying. Computers in Human Behavior, 41, 14-20.‏

Doornwaard, S., Branje, S., Wim, H., Meeus, W. & Bogt, T. (2012). Development of adolescents’ peer crowd identification in relation to changes in problem behavior. Developmental Psychology American Psychological Association, 48(5), 1366-1380.

Faucher, C., Jackson, M., & Cassidy, W. (2014). Cyberbullying among university students: Sexed experiences, impacts, and perspectives. Education Research International, 4, 545-698.

Futamura, I. (2018). Is Extraordinary prosocial behavior more valuable than ordinary prosocial behavior? Journal of Plose One, 13(4), 1-14.

Glenn, A. L., Koleva, S., Iyer, R., Graham, J., & Ditto, P. H. (2010). Moral identity in psychopathy. Judgment and Decision, 5(7), 497-505.‏

Guiab, M. R., Sario, M. L. P., & Reyes Jr, V. F. (2015). Self-Perceived Moral Intelligence of Faculty and Students: its Implication to Teacher Education. Researchers World, 6(2), 106.‏

Hamadnah, A. (2013). The Degree of commitment to ethics of teaching by Arabic language Teachers from the Principals' Point of View In Mafraq Directorate of Education. The Jordanian Journal of Educational Sciences, 9(1), 29-50.

Hardy, S. A., & Carlo, G. (2005). Identity as a source of moral motivation. Human development, 48(4), 232-256.

Hardy, S. A., Nadal, A. R., & Schwartz, S. J. (2017). The integration of personal identity, religious identity, and moral identity in emerging adulthood. Identity, 17(2), 96-107.‏

Hardy, S., Beans, D. & Olsen, J. (2015). Moral identity and adolescent prosocial and antisocial behaviors: Interaction with moral disengagement and self-regulation. Journal of Youth Adolescence, 1, 1-13.

Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2017). Cultivating youth resilience to prevent bullying and cyberbullying victimization. Child abuse & neglect, 73, 51-62.‏

Kartiwi, M., & Gunawan, T. S. (2020). Cyberbullying in e-learning platform: An Explatory study through text miming analytics. Journal of Information Systems and Digital Technologies, 1(2),40-47.

Kennedy, J. A., Kray, L. J., & Ku, G. (2017). A social-cognitive approach to understanding sex differences in negotiator ethics: The role of moral identity. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 138, 28-44.‏

Kocabiyik, O., & Kulaksizoğlu, A. (2014). A Qualitative Survey Examining the Moral Identities of Young Adults. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 14(3), 851-858.

Krettenauer, T. (2020). Moral Identity as a goal of moral action: A Self-Determination theory perspective. Journal of Moral Education, 49, 330-345.

Krettenauer, T., Colsanate, T., Buchman, M. & Malti, T. (2014). The development of moral emotions and decision-making from adolescence to early adulthood: A 6-year longitudinal study. Journal of Youth Adolescence, 43(4), 583-596.

Krettenauer, T., Murua, L. A., & Jia, F. (2016). Age-related differences in moral identity across adulthood. Developmental psychology, 52(6), 972-984.

Lapsley, D. (2015). Moral identity and developmental theory: Commentary on Krettenauer and Hertz. Human Development, 58, 164–171.

Leavitt, K., Zhu, L. & Aquino, K. (2016). Good without knowing it: Subtle contextual cues can active moral identity and reshape moral intuition. Journal of Business Ethics, 137,785–800.

Lee, S., Winterich, K. P., & Ross Jr, W. T. (2014). I'm moral, but I won't help you: The distinct roles of empathy and justice in donations. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(3), 678-696.‏

Li, Q. (2006). Cyberbullying in schools: A research of sex differences. School psychology international, 27(2), 157-170.‏

Martínez-Monteagudo, M. C., Delgado, B., García-Fernández, J. M., & Ruíz-Esteban, C. (2020). Cyberbullying in the university setting. Relationship with emotional problems and adaptation to the university. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1-9.‏

Mayer, D., Aquino, K., Greenbaum, R. & Kuenzi, M. (2012). Who displays ethical leadership, and why does it mater? An examination of antecedents and consequences of ethical leadership. Academy of Management Journal, 55(1), 151-171.

McFerraiiy, B., Aquino, K. & Duffy, M. (2010). How personality and moral identity relate to individuals’ ethical ideology. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20(1), 35-56.

Melhem, M., Aljarrah, A & Alrabee, F. (2020). The Level of Moral Identity among Adolescent Students according to Sex and Age. Educational science studies, 47(2), 617-630.

Mqrani, M. (2018). Qurani, Mubarak (2018). Cyberbullying and its relationship to social anxiety, a study A field study on second year secondary school students who are addicted to social networking sites. Message Unpublished MA, Kasdi Merbah University, Ouargla, Algeria.

Neesham, C. & Gu, J. (2015). Strengthening moral judgment: A moral identity-based leverage strategy in business ethics education. Journal of Business Ethics, 131,527–534.

Newman, K. & Trump, R. (2015). When are consumers motivated to connect with ethical brands? The roles of guilt and moral identity importance. Psychology and Marketing, 34(4), 597-609.

Noecia, V. (2011). Darwin on moral intelligence, ethics and sustainability. Cundles Rd. West, Barrie, Ontario L4N 7C9, 1-14.

Patricia, A., & Robin, K. & Susan, L. (2007). Students’ perspectives on cyber bullying. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41, 259–260.

Reynolds, S. & Ceranic, T. (2007). The effects of moral judgment and moral identity on moral behavior: An empirical examination of the moral individual. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1610–1624.

Riebel, J. R., Jäger, R. S., & Fischer, U. C. (2009). Cyberbullying in Germany–an exploration of prevalence, overlapping with real life bullying and coping strategies. Psychology science quarterly, 51(3), 298-314.‏

Rua, T. (2013). Moral identity and the virtuous circle of self-control. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The City University of New York, USA.

Sengsavang, S. (2018). Moral identity development across middle childhood and adolescence. Theses and Dissertations,(Comprehensive). 2085. Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.

Skarlicki, D. P., Van Jaarsveld, D. D., & Walker, D. D. (2008). Getting even for customer mistreatment: the role of moral identity in the relationship between customer interpersonal injustice and employee sabotage. Journal of applied psychology, 93(6), 1335-1347.

Skubinn, R., & Herzog, L. (2016). Internalized Moral Identity in Ethical Leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 133, 249–260.

Taylor, J. (2013). An exploratory study of adolescent moral identity and its relation to social justice awareness. Master Thesis, University of Toronto, Canada. victimization. Child abuse & neglect, 73, 51-62.

Teng, Z., Nie, Q., Guo, C., & Liu, Y. (2017). Violent video game exposure and moral disengagement in early adolescence: The moderating effect of moral identity. Computers in Human Behavior, 77, 54-62.‏

Tokunaga, R. S. (2010). Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research on cyberbullying victimization. Computers in human behavior, 26(3), 277-287.‏

Trolley, B., Hanel, C., & Shields, L. (2009, March). Cyberbullying and Cyberbalance: Cultivating respect for technology. In American Counseling Association Annual Conference and Exposition.

White, F.& Matawie, K. (2004). Parental morality and family processes as predictors of adolescent morality. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 13(2), 219-233.

Willard, N. (2005). Educator’s guide to cyberbullying and cyberthreats: Responding to the challenge of online social aggression, threats, and distress. Center for Safe and Responsible Use of the Internet.‏

Yang, X., Wang, Z., Chen, H., & Liu, D. (2018). Cyberbullying perpetration among Chinese adolescents: The role of interparental conflict, moral disengagement, and moral identity. Children and youth services review, 86, 256-263.‏

‏Yang, X., Wang, Z., Chen, H., & Liu, D. (2018). Cyberbullying perpetration among Chinese adolescents: The role of interparental conflict, moral disengagement, and moral identity. Children and youth services review, 86, 256-263.‏

Zalaquett, C. P., & Chatters, S. J. (2014). Cyberbullying in college: Frequency, characteristics, and practical implications. Sage Open, 4(1), 2158244014526721.‏